This disclosure relates generally to determining the authenticity of the online activity of a client device.
Users typically interact with web pages using client devices such as a personal computer or a mobile phone. As the users interact with the web pages, statistics about the web traffic and the interactions of the users is tracked by the online systems.
Some entities may try to deceive an online system by running scripts to create online traffic and to mimic a user interacting with the online system. For example, an online publisher may receive compensation for publishing content provided by an online system. In order to increase the compensation to be received, the online publisher may generate online traffic (i.e., online impressions) to load pages of the online publisher that includes the content provided by the online system. Furthermore, the online publisher may further mimic clicks to the content provided by the online system (i.e., interactions). For example, the online publisher or an entity associated with the online system runs a script on a client device that repeatedly loads or sends loading request for content provided by the online publisher. The script may further include instructions to follow links provided with specific content items to mimic the interaction of a user with the specific content item. Thus, there is a need for a way verify the interaction by a client device with online system is organically coming from a user of the online system.